Lifelines
by elitemassacre6
Summary: This starts while Quinn is still in her wheelchair and continues on. Decided to do this fic in the form of 300-1000 word drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

She hates herself for a full week after she lets that question go unanswered. She feels like a coward and a fool but what was she to do? Fall to her knees before Quinn and say Me?

She wonders how the blonde would've looked at her. The way she always does when someone, Rachel especially; compliments her? Sceptical and disbelieving and looking as if she wished she could believe Rachel if anyone. She wants to prove it to her somehow, help the chair-bound woman see herself through maple eyes and a captive heart.

Rachel and Quinn are alone in the library when the blonde looks up from her book and stares in a way that should probably make the brunette uncomfortable.

"I love you, Rachel. You know that right?"

"Of course I do. I love you too, Quinn." Brow lowered over hazel eyes, the blonde looked up, piercing Rachel with her gaze.

"Do you?" she asked, voice sharp.

"Yes." She said, voice unwavering.

"You see, it's hard for me to believe that. I needed you last week and you just let me run away again...roll away. I've never needed or wanted you to tell me that I'm beautiful and that anyone would be lucky to have me. But I did that day. I don't understood, Rachel. Did you get tired of telling me the same old lies?" Rachel shakes her head furiously scrambling to scoot her chair closer to Quinn's.

"No! And please stop... the things I say to you aren't lies. I mean them and I believe them. I just. I was afraid that I would say too much, okay. There's this line between the two of us that I created and I didn't want to cross it." Hurt and frustration flowing from her voice, Quinn scoffs.

"Well maybe it's time you did. Because I already have. And the longer you wait, the further away I get." She rolled away, leaving her best friend behind, fighting tears. The idea that maybe they should have fought their fears and crossed that line a long time ago resonates within both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

She's nervous, honestly. More nervous than she thinks she should be. Her mind reminds her that it's just Quinn. But her heart is singing 'Quinn! Quinn! Quinn!'. Taking a deep breath, Rachel steps around the wall she'd been leaning against ; gathering courage. With far less confidence than she's used to when dealing with almost anyone else, Rachel heads towards Quinn's table in the library. She recognizes ear buds in the blonde's ears, so knocks against the thick wood of the table, assuming Quinn will pick up the vibrations. Putting on her brightest smile when Quinn pulls them out and looks up at her with her eyebrow raised. They're talking to each other again, but they aren't as close as they were, and no where near as close as Rachel thinks they could and should be, but they're getting there again.

"Rachel hi. What's up with those?" Quinn points her pen towards the bouquet of Daisies, Sunflowers, and Forget-me-nots in Rachel's left hand.

" Hello Quinn, these are for you. I've come to request some of your time. I wish to take you on a date." Rachel extends out her arm, waiting for Quinn's gorgeous half smile/smirk and an affirmative answer.

"You're asking me on a _date_?" she takes the flowers, smelling them for a moment before giving Rachel that confident smile she'd been waiting for.

"I am. I think you were right. And that you deserve to have someone to take you out on a _hopefully_ perfect date. I would like to be that someone. Will you go out with me Quinn? You've yet to give a definitive answer." Quinn reaches up and pulls Rachel's face down, placing an innocent kiss against her cheek.

"Of course I will. And these are beautiful, Rachel thank you."

"Great! And your welcome Quinn. I'm sure you're aware of their meaning. But in case you aren't Quinn, I love you, Ok? The date will take place Saturday afternoon, I'll be there to pick you up at noon, so be ready. I'm so excited! I'll talk to you later Quinn. Much to do."

"I can tell. Where are you off to?"

"I have to inform San and Britt of my success. They were rooting for me. And they're helping me plan. Santana insisted on it, actually.

"Of course she did." Rachel lent down, placed a chaste kiss against Quinn's willing lips, and then skipped out of the library. The smile it left on Quinn's lips felt huge. She thought that maybe, finally, things were falling into place.


	3. Chapter 3

This date so far, she had to admit, has been perfect. When Rachel drove past the front entrance to the Cleveland museum of Art she'd been worried about whether or not the other girl had even thought about the fact that she was no longer equipped to ascend stairs. But they'd parked in the back and Rachel had pushed her up the ramp.

The exhibits had been more than interesting, and she found that rolling among the black and white photography section with Rachel by her side looking just as interested as she was made her smile. Rachel held her hand whenever they stopped to spend a while examining something. The brunette seemed enamored with both impressionist and post impressionist art. Her eyes always went wide with wonder when they paused to take moments gazing at Monet or Cezanne. It only made Quinn love her more.

After a few hours at the museum they headed back towards home, and Quinn thought perhaps their date was over. She'd been picked up from home at noon and it'd been a three hour drive to get there, plus the four hours they'd spent at the museum. She realized it she'd had _so_ much fun roaming the museum.

She finally realized she'd been in her head for the three hours home when Rachel pulled over next to the park a few blocks from her house and grabbed her hand, gazing into her eyes.

"Hey, Quinn? Hey, come back to me, baby. What's wrong? Did you not have fun? I'm sorry, I know you love museums and I thought you would like it and I have a picnic planned, but I know it's late and if you didn't like the date so far I won't make you stay, Quinn. I'll take you home. I'm sorry if I didn't do this right. You're important to me, so this was too. If you'll let me take you out again I'll figure out what to do that'll be fun for you. I know how much you love libraries and independently-owned book shops. Maybe I'll find you one in Cleveland or even in Columbus and we'll drive out and spend the day surrounded by the stacks?" Quinn used her hands to push her upper body closer to the girl next to her who seemed to be panicking a bit.

"No, I definitely had fun, Rach. And I'd love to go to an old bookstore with you. How about you grab the chair and help me in so we can have the picnic in the park you planned. I don't want to go home yet. I'm sorry if I was in my head the whole ride here. I was just thinking about how amazing the trip you planned was." Quinn leaned a little closer, pressing her lips against the softness that was Rachel's own.

"Okay?" She asked, grinning at the smiling singer.

"Okay." Quinn leaned back into her seat while Rachel got out of the car and pulled the chair from the back. A moment later and she was at the now open car door. The deceptively strong girl slipped her one arm under Quinn's legs and the other around her back and lifted her out of her car seat and over into the chair. The blonde closed the car door while Rachel grabbed the picnic basket, blanket and pillow, placing the latter two in Quinn's lap. The shorter girl pointed towards the gazebo and headed that way, the blonde following behind her.

When they reached the gazebo, Rachel set everything up and then displayed her strength again, lifting Quinn from her chair and then setting her down on the blanket, pillows behind her back. Rachel grinned then sat down close enough to touch her. She opened one of those keep hot bags and pulled out two containers of pasta, handing the one with a B marked on it to Quinn and keeping the other.

They ate together, then lay back on the blankets for just under an hour, Rachel having pulled out her iPad to help she and Quinn look for the possibilities of a bookstore to visit together for their next date. Having found one in shaker heights they thought might be nice.

"You do realize It's my turn to plan a date for you now, right? I've been thinking about it for years, but it doesn't really seem viable now given my situation. Taking you dancing isn't exactly going to be fun for you, is it." Rachel frowned and leaned over, kissing Quinn the way she'd wanted to for the last hour.

"I would _love_ to go dancing with you, Quinn."

"Even like this?"

"Even like that. I didn't love you because you had working legs, Baby. And I still love you now that you temporarily don't." Quinn smiled at her. it still felt so good to hear Rachel say those words to her. After all the time they'd spent hiding from what they felt for each other it was amazing to know she could say those them and know that her girl felt the same way.

"I love you too, Rach."


	4. Chapter 4

They're once again in the library corner that might as well be identified as theirs when Santana and Brittany skip in and sit on across from them.

"Sup tho, ladies?"

"Nothing much, Santana. I was expressing to Quinn how much I appreciated the amazing date she took me on last night."

"You were giving her a happy? Santana says we shouldn't do that after that one time Ms. Nagant caught us in the reading room and looked less disgusted and more intrigued. You guys should just use the music room the jazz band stores their instruments in. They're only ever in there after school and it's out of the way of everything so no one can hear you when you're being loud Quinn." Santana just sighed.

"Or you, Rachel. I've started to understand that whole projection thing you do with your voice is completely second nature to you now. It's kind of hot to think about actually." Santana put her forefinger to her chin, eyebrow raised.

"Hey, ears off. And anyway Britt, what made you say I'd be loud first?" Rachel chuckled at the line of conversation.

"Once in sophomore year me and you and San had a sleepover and we couldn't keep our hands off each other so we kind of ditched and went upstairs to have sexy times in the guest room and then way later I went to get water from downstairs and I heard you moaning Rachel's name while you were coming. I just figured you were touching yourself which is totally cool because like...who hasn't touched themselves and thought about Rachel, right? I have and San has." She shrugged and sucked the lollipop that Quinn hadn't noticed until then back between her lips.

"Babe we seriously have to talk about the way you just like tell everyone about our private times, okay. And I admit I totally have."

"Okay that may have happened a few times maybe...can we not talk about sex now? I wanted to know if you guys would come on a date with me and Rach on Saturday. There's a new restaurant in Wapakoneta and they have a pretty broad menu so I thought we could all go."

"Wait. Like...Faberritana?" Brittany was bouncing up and down clapping her hands.

"No, Britt. Like a double date." Rachel answered. The blonde nodded, but calmed down.

"Yea, that sounds awesome. We'll come. What should we wear? And what's the score?" Santana asked, biting into an apple Rachel had tossed her.

"Seems like the place is a pretty big deal, and it's opening night so go decently fancy. And 10. Owners a pretty young gay man with a husband and daughter."

"Ooh, proto-Berrys."

"Yep."

"Awesomesauce. Alright, we'll pick you up Saturday night in the beamer. Me and Britt are going to go make use of the aforementioned vacant music room. Talking about Rachel and sex always turns us both on. Adios." The two other girls disappeared and Rachel was grinning.

"They're going to make your head so gigantic with that." Rachel shook her head and vacated her chair, instead choosing to take a seat in her girlfriend's lap.

"No...you are with your apparent fantasies of me while masturbating and screaming my name. We could, perhaps, leave the fantasy behind for a moment and actually engage in those activities." Quinn smiled lovingly at her, kissing her softly on curved lips.

"When I'm out of this chair. I'll find out a little more about it in a few days at my appointment. I'm walking a little now at phys-hab, but I just...I want to be give you all I know you deserve. I want to be able to be there with you physically. I want to give you all of me and I feel like I can't because I don't have control over all of me right now." Rachel nodded, unable to keep her hand from venturing under Quinn's Thor t-shirt and over the soft skin of her abdomen which had lost a good bit of its definition but was still just as sexy and appealing to Rachel.

"I know, baby. I understand. But I just want to touch you sometimes, to make you feel physically the way you make me feel emotionally. But I can and will wait until you have better control over your body because it's what you need."

"I love you, Rach."

"I love you too, Quinn."


End file.
